chance to get to yet. Just some little things that need to be fixed.”
“Like installing an air conditioner in the kennel office?”
“I was thinking more along the lines of painting the door trim and seeing what I can do to get the office window to open.”
“The one that’s painted shut? Good luck. My grandpa tried to fix it for years. He once worked a whole day on it with a razor blade and ended up wearing Band-Aids for a week. It still wouldn’t open.”
“You’re not filling me with confidence here,” Logan said.
“Just trying to warn you. And it’s funny because it was my grandpa who painted it shut in the first place, and he had a whole storage shed full of just about every tool you could imagine. He was one of those guys who thought he could fix anything, but it never quite worked out as well as he’d planned. He was more of a visionary than a nuts-and-bolts kind of guy. Have you seen Ben’s tree house and the bridge?”
“From a distance,” Logan admitted.
“A case in point. It took Grandpa most of one summer to build it, and whenever Ben goes there now, I cringe. How it’s lasted this long without blowing over I have no idea. It scares me, but Ben loves to go there, especially when he’s upset or nervous about something. He calls it his hideout. He goes there a lot.” When she paused, he could see her concern, but it lasted only an instant before she came back to him. “Anyway, Grandpa was a prize. All heart and soul, and he gave us the most idyllic childhood you could imagine.”
“Us?”
“My brother and me.” She gazed toward the tree, the leaves silver in the moonlight. “Did Nana tell you what happened to my parents?”
He nodded. “Briefly. I’m sorry.”
She waited, wondering if he’d add anything else, but he didn’t. “What was it like?” she asked. “Walking across the country?”
Logan took his time answering. “It was . . . peaceful. Just being able to go where I wanted, when I wanted, with no rush to get there.”
“You make it sound therapeutic.”
“It was, I suppose.” A sad smile flickered across his face, then was gone. “In a way.”
As he said it, the fading light reflected in his eyes, making them seem as if they were changing color incrementally. “Did you find what you were looking for?” she asked, her expression serious.
Logan paused. “Yeah, actually I did.”
“And?”
“I don’t know yet.”
She evaluated his answer, unsure what to make of it. “Now don’t take this the wrong way, but for some reason, I don’t see you staying in one place for very long.”
“Is that because I walked from Colorado?”
“That has a lot to do with it.”
He laughed, and for the first time, Beth was conscious of how long it had been since she’d had a conversation like this. It felt easy and unforced. With Adam, the conversation had been stiff, as though both had been trying too hard. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about Logan, but it seemed right that they were finally on friendly terms. She cleared her throat. “Now, about tomorrow. I’m thinking that maybe the two of you should take my car, and I’ll use the truck to go to school. I’m a little worried about the truck’s brakes.”
“I have to admit I wondered about that, too. But I’m pretty sure I can fix it. Not by tomorrow, but on the weekend.”
“You can repair cars, too?”
“Yes. But brakes aren’t hard. They need some new pads, but I think the rotors are probably okay.”
“Is there anything you can’t do?” Beth asked, only half feigning amazement.
“Yes.”
She laughed. “That’s good. But okay, I’ll talk to Nana and I’m sure she’ll be fine with using my car. I don’t trust those brakes at highway speed. And I’ll make sure to check on the dogs when I finish up at school, okay? I’m sure Nana didn’t mention that to you either. But I will.”
He nodded just as Zeus padded out. He shook off, then moved closer to sniff at Beth before licking her hands.
“He likes me.”
“He’s probably just tasting you.”
“Funny,” she said. It was the type of thing Drake would have said, and she was struck by the sudden desire to be alone once again. She stood. “I should probably be heading back. I’m sure they’re wondering where I am.”
Logan noticed the clouds had continued to thicken. “Yeah, me too. I want to get home before it starts pouring. The storm